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Funding

Community Development

Most civic projects that benefit an entire community (water or sewer systems, community buildings, etc.) are both complex and very expensive. As such, it is often necessary to secure funds from many different sources to accomplish a community improvement project. The primary sources of this type of funding are listed below.

Community Develpment Block Grants

The Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) offers grants to small Missouri communities to improve local facilities, address critical health and safety concerns, and develop a greater capacity for growth. It offers funds for projects that can range from housing and street repairs to industrial loans and job training. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is administered by the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

The MPUA offers a range of services and programs to its members. Many of these services are free, some are fee based. MPUA offers a number of member services including a municipal finance program that uses the advantages of private capital markets to secure funding resources via a larger "pooled" debt issue from which multiple cities/utilities participate. The result is a program which reduces red tape and is very affordable. The MAMU Municipal Finance Program has been used by member communities to fund infrastructure projects and equipment for utility-related issues. It can even been used to refinance existing debt.

United States Department of Agriculture - Rural Development has a wide range of grant and loan programs to assist non-urban communities with various development projects, including community buildings, alert sirens, and economic development initiatives.

The mission of the economic development administration is "To lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy."

In fulfilling its mission, EDA is guided by the basic principle that distressed communities must be empowered to develop and implement their own economic development and revitalization strategies. Based on these locally- and regionally-developed priorities, EDA works in partnership with state and local governments, regional economic development districts, public and private nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes. EDA helps distressed communities address problems associated with long-term economic distress, as well as sudden and severe economic dislocations including recovering from the economic impacts of natural disasters, the closure of military installations and other Federal facilities, changing trade patterns, and the depletion of natural resources.

The EDA offers the following programs:

Public Works and Economic Development Program

Public Works and Economic Development investments help support the construction or rehabilitation of essential public infrastructure and facilities necessary to generate or retain private sector jobs and investments, attract private sector capital, and promote regional competitiveness, including investments that expand and upgrade infrastructure to attract new industry, support technology-led development, redevelop brownfield sites and provide eco-industrial development. ( CFDA No. 11.300 ).

Economic Adjustment Assistance Program

The Economic Adjustment Assistance Program provides a wide range of technical, planning and infrastructure assistance in regions experiencing adverse economic changes that may occur suddenly or over time. This program is designed to respond flexibly to pressing economic recovery issues and is well suited to help address challenges faced by U.S. regions and communities. ( CFDA No. 11.307 )

Research and National Technical Assistance

The Research and National Technical Assistance Program supports research of leading, world class economic development practices, and funds information dissemination efforts. ( CFDA No. 11.303 ); ( CFDA No. 11.312 )

Local Technical Assistance

The Local Technical Assistance Program helps fill the knowledge and information gaps that may prevent leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors in economically distressed regions from making optimal decisions on local economic development issues. ( CFDA No. 11.303 )

Planning Program

The Planning Program helps support planning organizations, including District Organizations and Indian Tribes, in the development, implementation, revision or replacement of comprehensive economic development strategies (CEDS), and for related short-term planning investments and State plans designed to create and retain higher-skill, higher-wage jobs, particularly for the unemployed and underemployed in the nation's most economically distressed regions. ( CFDA No. 11.302 )

University Center Economic Development Program

The University Center Economic Development Program is a partnership between the Federal government and academia that helps to make the varied and vast resources of universities available to economic development communities. ( CFDA No. 11.303 )

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Program

EDA administers the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Program through a national network of eleven Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers to help manufacturing and production firms, which have lost domestic sales and employment due to increased imports of similar or competitive goods, become more competitive in the global economy. ( CFDA No. 11.313 )

Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP)

Tax credits are provided to assist community-based organizations to implement community or neighborhood projects in the areas of community service, education, crime prevention, job training and physical revitalization. The Department of Economic Development (DED) will issue 50% or 70% tax credits to an eligible taxpayer who makes a qualified contribution to an approved Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) project.

Current CDBG Projects

Lettuce Dream

Construction of two hydroponic greenhouses for job training for individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities.

Transportation

Communities regardless of size have commitments to maintain quality, safe roadways. Several funding resources are available to local governments that assist with transportation improvement projects and programs, which may include complete street and drainage improvements, hike/bike paths, construct sidewalks, safe roads and much more.

Missouri Local Public Agency Program

Through the Missouri Local Public Agency Program, MoDOT and the Federal Highway Administration provides information and funding opportunities that include the Transportation Alternatives program, Traffic Engineering Assistance program and many others.

Northwest Regional Coalition for Roadway Safety

This Northwest Coalition comprised of volunteers representing twenty counties in MoDOT’s northwest district, provides annual Blueprint for Roadway Safety Grant funds to local governments or agencies that are committed to lowering the number of lives lost in our region.

MoDOT’s Traffic and Highway Safety Division

MoDOT’s Traffic and Highway Safety Division administers the State and Community Highway Safety grant and the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance grant programs. Funds are available to local public and non-profit agencies that support the reduction in the number and severity of traffic crashes.

Emergency Services

In the wake of several man-made and natural disasters, funding for emergency services agencies, including police, fire, ambulance and emergency management can be abundant, but labor intensive for communities to navigate through. Following are some of the most common programs that assist with these community wide projects.

FEMA Fire Grants

The program is designed to assist local fire departments in protecting citizens and firefighters against the effects of fire and fire-related incidents. The Regional Council has assisted several local fire departments in applying for this program.

The Local Law Enforcement Block Grants (LLEBG) Program provides funds to units of local government to underwrite projects that reduce crime and improve public safety. The LLEBG Program emphasizes local decision-making and encourages communities to craft their own responses to local crime and drug problems.

Other Funding Opportunities

Additional recreational development.

Department of Natural Resources Trails / Outdoor Recreation

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources through the Missouri State Parks administers two federally funded grant programs relating to outdoor recreation. The Land and Water Conservation Fund can be used to create and maintain outdoor recreation areas and facilities, while the Recreational Trails Program supports motorized and non-motorized recreational trails.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a federal agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts - both new and established, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. The agency awards more than $100 million in matching grants to non-profit arts organizations annually.

The purpose of the Missouri On-site Wastewater Improvement Grant-Loan program is to provide financing for homeowners seeking to make improvements to, or replace their on-site wastewater treatment system, which will improve Missouri’s water quality. The program is funded by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and delivered by Missouri’s regional planning commissions and councils of government.

Eligible Uses

Grants & Loans can be made for repair or replacement of private wastewater treatment systems for single-family houses, and multi- family housing consisting of four units or fewer.